Annual Charter School Report-FY 2016

New Heights School

Annual Charter School Report-FY 2016

Table of Contents:

Introduction2

Mission Statement 2

School Governance 3

Purposes of the Chartered School3

Board of Directors4

Board of Directors Training Schedule5

School Management and Operations 6-7

Sponsor/Authorizer Information7-8

Admissions, Enrollment, and Attrition8-9

Program Successes and Best Practices 9-11

Academic Performance12-14

Future Plans/Innovative Practices15-16

Teacher Staffing Information 16-17

Program Challenges 17

Other Features/Creative Practices17-20

Financial Summary21-25

Verification of Non-Profit Status25

Addendum – Record of Continuous Improvement

ANNUAL REPORT NEW HEIGHTS SCHOOL, DISTRICT 4003 2015-2016

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to summarize the progress and achievements of New Heights School during the 2015-16 school year. Its contents are intended to be informational and factual. This annual report serves to meet the requirements of the Minnesota Department of Education as they pertain to charter schools, as well as those of New Heights School’s contractual agreement with its authorizer; The Minnesota Guild for Charter Schools.

Board Approval & Availability

The Annual Report will be posted on the school’s website once approved by the board of directors at the November 16th, 2016 meeting. A copy of the report will be shared with The Minnesota Guild for Charter Schools by November 7th, 2016, and will also be made available to all parents of students enrolled at the school once it is board approved.

New Heights School’s Mission Statement:

The Mission of New Heights School is to inspire and challenge each individual to reach his or her full potential.

New Heights School was among the first schools in the state of Minnesota to be called a “charter school” or “chartered school.” The school opened in 1993 and was established as a small community school created for the purpose of offering a smaller, relationship-based program for families and children wanting or needing a more personalized approach to public education. Although the vast majority of students attending New Heights have always been and continue to be from the Stillwater Area Schools district, many students enroll from surrounding Minnesota public districts; New Heights has served families from 13 MN public school districts. One of the primary and distinct benefits derived from attending New Heights School is the small size of the program, as well as the ability and willingness of the school’s teachers to provide assistance to their students in the classroom with minimal wait time. At New Heights, the teachers strive to assist individuals at his or her ability-level as opposed to having a common and unrealistic expectation that each student is equally capable and ready to attain the same arbitrary level of education within a stipulated time frame or at an arbitrary pace regardless of individual differences and circumstances. Therefore, it is the ideal at New Heights to address the needs and aspirations of all students, each according to his or her ability, yet in accordance with state standards.

School Governance

The board of directors of the school is responsible for the formation, adoption, and review of policy; creating and adopting the annual fiscal budget; monitoring the overall progress and health of the school; and for directing, supporting, and evaluating the administration in the overall management of the school and its programs.

The board of directors has historically been comprised of at least a majority of licensed teachers currently employed by the school, but is now compliant in accordance with charter school law-124E, which does not require the teacher-based majority. The board holds an annual election in May of each year to elect candidates to serve two-year terms; the directors are not compensated financially. In the event that a director resigns from the board, a new member may be appointed for the remainder of the term. The board of directors may, from time-to-time, increase or decrease the size of the board, but must continue to meet the legislated requirements pertaining to board member makeup. The increase in directors may occur either from an election or by appointment. The current board consists of 7 directors. The principal/director participates at board meetings as an ex-officio, non-voting member. The board of directors typically schedules meetings to occur once per month at the school. The annual schedule of meetings is determined by each new board at the first meeting in July of each year.

The board of directors holds its Annual Meeting in May of each year. On the day of the Annual Meeting, members of the corporation are able to vote for candidates to serve as board members for two-year terms. The votes are tabulated and reported during the annual meeting. Other agenda items include: designation of the school’s official depository; an annual financial report; and a year-ending administrative report; review and amendment of by-laws; the Annual Meeting is the only meeting of the year for the directors to make a change to the corporate by-laws.

Purposes of the Chartered School

New Heights first opened in 1993 as one of the original pioneering charter schools. Although charter schools are still thought of as “alternatives” to the traditional education sector, some argue charters have lost much of the flexibility they were originally intended to have. However, The primary purposes of charter schools remain in effect; they include: improving all pupil learning; improving all student achievement; increasing learning opportunities for all pupils; encouraging the use of different and innovative teaching practices; measuring learning outcomes and creating different and innovative forms of measuring outcomes; establishing new forms of accountability for schools; and creating new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site. Throughout this document, evidence of each should be demonstrated. As one of the first charter schools in the nation, New Heights has been creatively meeting each of the aforementioned purposes, thus creating new opportunities for students and teachers to creatively and experimentally contribute to the advancement of the field of education.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2015-2016

DIRECTOR NAME / TITLE / POSITION / FILE FOLDER # / ELECTED / TERM EXPIRES / COMP
Lauren / Adamic / Teacher / Assistant Secretary / 478847 / May - 2015 / June - 2017 / 0
Cheryl / Graham / Parent / Treasurer / N/A / May - 2014 / June - 2016 / 0
Judy / Gulden / Community Representative / Director / N/A / Appointed
Nov. - 2014 / June - 2016 / 0
Andy / Rakerd / Teacher / Vice-President / 466052 / May - 2015 / June - 2017 / 0
Megan / Wieker / Teacher / President / 462154 / May - 2015 / June - 2017 / 0
Michael / Stahlmann / Community Representative / Secretary / 237098 / May - 2015 / June - 2017 / 0

*BOARD OF DIRECTORS TRAINING

2015-2016

DIRECTOR NAME / Seated / Governance / Financial / Employment
Lauren / Adamic / 7/8/15 / 1/13/16 / 1/13/16 / 1/13/16
Judy / Gulden / 12/10/14 / 1/22/15 / 1/22/15 / 1/22/15
Cheryl / Graham / 8/14/12 / 4/20/13 / 4/20/13 / 4/20/13
Andy / Rakerd / 7/8/15 / 1/13/16 / 1/13/16 / 1/13/16
Michael / Stahlmann / 7/9/97 / 9/25/10 / 10/2/10 / 10/2/10
Megan / Wieker / 7/24/13 / 8/6/13 / 8/6/13 / 8/6/13

*Charter school board members who do not begin the required training within six months of being seated and complete it within 12 months of being seated will be ineligible to serve on the board. The three areas are 1) Financial Matters, 2) Board Governance and 3) Employment Matters.

School Management and Operations

New Heights School has a traditional hierarchy of management beginning with the school’s superintendent/principal. Thomas Kearney has been with New Heights since August of 1995, but has served as the school’s lead administrator since 1996. He holds a Superintendent of Schools license, as well as a K-12 principal’s license in the state of Minnesota. The principal is primarily responsible for ensuring that the teachers and students have the appropriate materials and environment needed to ensure a safe and successful school experience. The principal, in conjunction with the approval of board of directors, is responsible for all staffing at the school. This is beneficial in the sense that all staff members deciding to accept employment offers from the principal have some level of shared vision with the leader of the program, at least in terms of the direction the school is taking. This shared vision can ideally result in fewer conflicts and more productivity.

The principal is responsible for ensuring that each employee is meeting the expectations of the position each holds. This is done in part through observation, participation in professional learning committees, and in part through two-way communication between the principal and the teacher. Each employee meets frequently/periodically with the principal to discuss key aspects of his or her position and areas of responsibility, and also to develop a plan, if necessary, for the employee to improve or correct behaviors/practices that will ultimately lead to optimal performance/production of the employee. Recently, the state of Minnesota and changed legislation regarding teacher evaluations to now include 35% of the evaluation to be based on student performance data. The school has developed the teacher evaluation plan and has begun using the new rubric when evaluating teachers for effectiveness.

The principal works closely with the board of directors to ensure that the school has appropriate policies in place. In most cases, it is the joint responsibility of the principal and the board to disseminate school policies to families and staff members, and to ensure that all members of the school are aware of, and adhering to the school’s policies.

The principal is responsible for ensuring the general maintenance of the school facility. The school building is a leased property, but as the tenant, the principal must make sure that all essential utilities and systems are operating safely. The principal communicates frequently with the school’s landlord on all issues that need attention, and ensures that the facility meets compliance.

The school’s principal works with various staff members who also serve as part of the administrative team. This includes the office manager, who also serves as the primary reporter on matters such as student enrollment or MARSS, staff or STARS, assurances, and other such elements of reporting required by the MDE. The principal and the office manager work closely together on issues such as forecasting future enrollment; policy development; writing and disseminating staff and student handbooks; communication between school and home; creating an annual calendar to present to the board of directors for adoption; and other issues that occur on either daily, monthly, quarterly, or on an annual basis. The principal and office manager have worked effectively together for the past 22 years.

The school’s guidance counselor works closely with the principal in establishing criteria for graduation; ensuring that all students meet the requirements for graduation as established by both the school and by the MDE; and establishing a class schedule for the students to follow each year. The guidance counselor is also responsible for monitoring the academic progress of each student enrolled at the school, and for assisting students to obtain the necessary components that may be needed in order to graduate. The guidance counselor also assists students and families in making post-secondary plans, and may even assist in the application process.

The District Area Test Coordinator, or DAC, and is responsible for the administration of all standardized testing that occurs throughout the year. This includes test set up; arranging a schedule of tests; ensuring that all required elements are in place to properly administer the tests; and ensuring that all staff members are aware of the standards that are required for students at all levels. The DAC works closely with the principal and the guidance counselor to ensure that all testing is administered properly, and that the results of the testing are appropriately reviewed and analyzed. The DAC compiles all data and organizes it so that the school’s leadership team and staff can make informed decisions regarding how to assist students in academic areas.

The bookkeeper is a member of the school’s administrative team. The bookkeeper is responsible for working closely with the principal and the board of directors to prepare and monitor an appropriate annual budget. The bookkeeper is responsible for the accounting of the school’s financial matters. The bookkeeper must make available all relevant information pertaining to the school’s financial health to anyone who may inquire about it, but especially to the principal and the board of directors so that together they may make sound financial decisions on behalf of the school.

The bookkeeper must account for all funds received and held by the school.

The bookkeeper must reconcile all accounts (monthly) held by the school.

The bookkeeper works to assist in preparing the school’s annual financial audit.

The bookkeeper monitors the school’s assets and cash flow on an ongoing basis and makes recommendations to the school principal and to the board of directors.

New Heights holds a contract with an independent entity which serves as the special education director for the school. This position is required, but the size of the school only requires a part-time staff/director to meet compliance. The special education director ensures that all areas relevant to meeting the needs of special education students are in place. The special education director works closely with the principal and the special education teachers to ensure that the school is compliant with all laws regulating special education, and ensures that due process procedures are followed.

A majority of the school’s administrative team has worked closely with one another for many years. This longevity allows for the school’s business to flow smoothly with few obstacles in the way of providing families with a solid educational experience. The administrative team has developed an excellent reputation in the realm of charter schools as being professional and efficient.

*New Heights has been a recipient of The School Finance Award for 3 of the past 4 school years!

Sponsor/Authorizer Information

For more than 18 years Stillwater Area Schools, district 834, served as the sponsor of New Heights School. The Stillwater district was actually the first public school district to sponsor a charter school in the state of Minnesota and was the first in the United States, as charter schools were first legislated in the great state of Minnesota. However, the relationship came to a sad and abrupt end as a result of the change in legislation requiring charters to transition from “sponsors” to “authorizers;” which significantly raised the rigor and accountability of the charter school accountability partners in the state of Minnesota. In April of 2012, New Heights had its application to change authorizers approved, and began a new relationship with Innovative Quality Schools, a single purpose authorizer, which lasted approximately three years. In October of 2014, New Heights submitted a request for a change of authorizer to the commissioner of education. In the spring of 2015, the application was approved and New Heights began its relationship with The Minnesota Guild for Charter Schools; also a “single purpose authorizer.” Single purpose authorizers are simply that; organizations whose sole purpose is to support charter schools and to ensure and report on compliance. New Heights is currently at the midway point of the its first contract with The Guild.

The current authorizer liaison to New Heights is:

Dr. Brad Blue

Minnesota Guild for Charter Schools

67 8th Ave NE, Minneapolis MN 55413

Phone: 612-991-0017

email:

School Admissions, Enrollment and Attrition

The enrollment at New Heights has proven to be quite stable throughout the school’s 23-year history. New Heights typically enrolls approximately 160- 170 students per year, and typically generates approximately 130-135 ADM. It may appear that the school has a high level of transience. This activity could be resulting from the number of special needs children enrolling at the school, or it could also be relative to the number of impoverished children enrolled. The ADM for the 2015-16 was 137.32, which is up significantly from previous school year; which was 93.85 for 2014-15.

The demographics at New Heights are not typical of the general population in the Stillwater area in two key categories; special education and students eligible for free or reduced price meals. New Heights has tended to serve significantly higher percentages of students in those two subgroups since the school’s inception in 1993. Although there are several underlying factors, the high concentration of students with disabilities and students living in poverty tends to have a profound impact on the overall levels of academic achievement; which will be addressed later in the report.

Program Successes and Best Practices

During the charter school’s twenty-three-year history, New Heights has initiated many program changes to properly meet the needs of the ever-changing student population. Currently, New Heights serves students in all grades K-12. The elementary section serves students in grades K-5 in multi-age classrooms. The K-1 classroom hosts up to 25 students, and depending on the class size, may also occasionally utilize a para-professional or a high-level volunteer to offer more assistance to those students needing more attention. The teacher makes use of a 2-year rotating curriculum, which is standards-based, so that students enrolled at New Heights learn all of the same core skills and concepts that would be offered and required at any Minnesota public school. The teachers of all grades and levels make use of differentiation strategies to accommodate for individual differences of the students in the classes.

Students in grades 2-5 also attend school in two multi-age classrooms 2-3 and 4-5. They experience a 2-year rotating curriculum, and they too learn in accordance with the Minnesota state standards designated for students in their respective grades. In addition to their home-class, these students are offered small group reading and math instruction based on ability rather than arbitrarily by age. M They also receive physical-education every day; technology and keyboarding enrichment for 4th and 5th graders; special education for all students meeting eligibility criteria; and speech and language services for eligible students. Enrichment opportunities are offered to all K-5 grade students. Offerings include enrichment-based learning opportunities which occur on a rotating basis in music, art, character education and Spanish.